Ebb and Flow

CityRow wants you to try indoor rowing

Out-of-the-box workouts are NYC’s new normal. (Hip-hop on Rollerblades? We’ll pass.) So when we ventured out to try CityRow, the latest indoor rowing class, we were expecting something off the rails.

Instead, we found a high-intensity exercise that’s totally in our wheelhouse.

CityRow is an upbeat rowing studio that mixes just the right amount of unorthodox techniques (hello, there’s a boat) with your basic (not so scary) push-ups, lunges and sit-ups.

We stopped in to try a one-hour Signature class ($32) and were slightly apprehensive about the water-simulation machine. Luckily our attentive instructor gave us a quick two-minute tutorial before the 15-person session began to fill up. As we strapped our feet into the stirrups and Jay-Z started bumping, our instructor belted the key phrase--Legs, core, arms! Arms, core, legs!--and we quickly caught on to the rowing sequence.

After 30-second sprints rowing at top speed and “strong tens” (ten slower, full-force rows), we were spent. But you get your money’s worth from the mat work in between sets. Think: military-style planks and lots of squats.

Unlike dancing in our Rollerblades, we’re actually excited to get back to the studio next week. Even despite our ridiculously sore thighs.